Stamp Vending Machines

For decades, the Postal Service offered vending machine service to supplement its retail operations. Vending machines meet the needs of customers who want to purchase stamps without waiting in line. While the lack of stamp vending machines has resulted in customer frustration and a surprising number of newspaper articles, the problems are particularly acute in economically depressed and more urban areas. Although Automated Postal Centers (APCs) provide many services including the sale of stamps and directly applied postage for First-Class letters, APCs require credit cards, which people in economically depressed areas often do not have. In addition, some customers find APCs to be intimidating to use. Finally, APCs sell only booklets of stamps or individual stamps in denominations of $1 or more, yet many disadvantaged customers may want to buy just one First-Class Mail stamp.

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So with an apparent need for simple vending machines, what should the Postal Service do? In the past, the Postal Service had problems with the legacy machines it owned. They were costly and difficult to maintain and operate. The answer may be to contract this activity out. Commercial vending machines, like those selling soda and chips, are generally not owned and operated by the organizations on whose property they are located. While Postal Service unions and management associations may have concerns, private operators might be very interested in acquiring stamp vending machine contracts for a percentage of gross sales (or similar) while taking sole responsibility for vending machine maintenance and support. In addition to the convenience vending machines would offer, they might also help window clerks operate more efficiently. Diverting low-value stamp sales from windows would increase revenue per labor hour and allow the Postal Service window clerks to focus on more important functions. With shorter lines and happier customers, the work environment of a window clerk would likely improve. This idea could be a win-win for all concerned. This topic is hosted by the OIG’s Risk Analysis Research Center (RARC).

Comments (67)

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If available, please send more information of USPS stamp vending machine. Garrett College is a small rural college with 2-dorms. Students do not have transportation to the local Post Office to purchase stamps. A stamp vending could be accessed to students for the purpose of mailing letters.
Please send any literature and information to Garrett College, 687 Mosser Road, McHenry Maryland 21541. It is not our intent to minimize the first class volume credited to stamp sales at the McHenry Post Office - 21541 Attention: Copy Center - 687 Mosser Road, McHenry Maryland 21541
Thank-you! H. Vaughn Vitez - Copy Center Mgr.

I used to use the vending machines frequently to buy packets of 20 stamps. It was very convenient. Now I would have to wait in line or . . . use email. Taking out the vending machines is just another step on USPS's inevitable road to bankruptcy.

Totally skewed rational for taking machines out of post offices. If someone needs and only will buy 1 stamp, or if someone does not have a credit card to use in the machine, then unfortunately they will have to wait in line. Why tho, is the other 90 % or so,of the population penalized and inconvenienced because a few can't or aren't able to use the machines. It doesn't make sense and the thought process behind this decision is totally and unbelievably unreasonable and beyond comprehension.

As a window clerk, selling individual stamps is grossly inefficient, especially in a POS or RSS office. First we need a type of stamp that the system will allow us to sell individually. Then we need to manually tear that many stamps off the sheet, go through the motions of POS or RSS, for a dollar or less in revenue. That's an awful lot of clerk time and customer waiting time for a 49-cent transaction (and there are many of those in the course of a typical day).
Even if not with a dedicated vending machine (which many customers -- and probably the union -- don't like), I think this can be made more efficient for the customers and clerks to make the individual stamp-buying process about as quick as buying a book or 20 or a roll of 100. If the window were equipped with a device that could reliably dispense individual stamps off of a large perforated coil, it would be easier than trying to tear individual stamps off of a sheet of Purple Hearts (for example) which often have weak perforations that can tear through stamps. I would imagine the time needed to process this transaction would go down rather dramatically.

Went to my local post office in Tucker, Ga 30084 and purchased postal stamps from the self serve postage machine (inside post office), I paid $4.90 for 10 stamps half the sheet printed with the postage on it and the other half only has the flag these were to be the forever stamp. I assume I can go to the post office to rectify this discrepancy.

I like the Post Office and believe that the need for it will never disappear. But using a post office location is often a grind and a joke. Buying stamps is these days the biggest pain in the rear going. At the post offices in my area the only option for getting the stamps we want in time to use them (ex. Christmas stamps) is to stand on long slow lines to see a rushed, harried counter worker. Otherwise, all we have available is what's stocked in the APC, grocery stores, etc., usually Liberty Bell or Old Glory 'n' Fireworks. Or we might have to settle for the ridiculous jokes called "designs" printed out as self-adhesive stamps at the APC... my God but those are awful! It was always so nice to just be able to step into the P.O. lobby, buy a book of stamps (including holiday), pop my outgoing mail through the slots and move on with my day. And yes I have tried buying stamps from USPS online, and I'm here to tell you it was definitely NOT worth the extra expense for shipping plus the week+ it took them to arrive. PLEASE put the vending machines back in the lobbies!!!

What can the citizens of Los Alamos, NM zip code 87544 do to encourage the Los Alamos Post Office to install an Automated Postal Center (APC) machine? With shorter lines come happier customers and yes the work environment of a window clerk would likely improve.

This should be a no-brainer - even if the machines are only available during post office hours (inside the secured area), this would be worth it. Here's a perfect example why:
Today, I went to get 2 books of holiday stamps (the Peanuts series) at my local branch, and had to wait in a pretty long line, about 20 people back, with only 2 people working the 4-person counter.. There are no self-serve kiosks or vending machines for stamp books, and no one staffs the counter area where, once upon a time, people could just buy supplies like tape, stamps, etc.,
So, I had to wait almost 40 minutes just to do my less-than-2-minute transaction of buying 2 books of stamps. That's an unnecessary waste of time (and, the line didn't get shorter after it was my turn, either - it had grown longer during this stretch).
I get that not everyone can have a credit card, but, a lot of people can have debit cards (even pre-paid), or can pay with their phone, or - here's an idea - have actual cash. And, if there's a concern about keeping cash on-hand to dispense change, you could take a page from Coinstar, and offer alternatives likes gift cards, or maybe have it dispense as a postal money order.
The point is, there are ways to make this work, and it shouldn't be this hard. Seriously.

DEAR SIRS: STAMP VENDING MACHINES CAN BE VIABLE JUST AS ATM CASH MACHINES ARE NOW.. THE ATM SYSTEM CAN BE APPLIED TO STAMP VENDING MACHI8NES. I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN PLACEING THEM IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS ON A CVOMMISSION BASIS. WOULD THIS APROACH BEST BE HANDLED BY THE POST OFFICE OR THE ATM MANUFACTURES ? PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK .
SINCERELY YOURS, MR. ANTHONY MALANGA

i travel with my job and have seen over the years how rediculous it is to go to some lame post office out in the middle of knowwhere and the sales desk is closed but the rest of box area is open and all the stamp machines have been removed and theres no way to buy a stamp to mail letter
even in the last 10 years how u guys removed all the stamp machines from walmart ,my wife works for post office and she told me why and thats because YOU hire so many lazy obama voters and when u send THEMB out to collect money from machine and replace stamps it takes one of THEMB 6 hrs to do one machine or when u send them out to mail delivery route THAY cant even get done with half of THERE mailroute and call in screamin fo help ,so the office sendss out a girl to help THEMB whos done ran there route plus 2 other routes
all of tha tha zoo antics comin outa THEMB is ridulous and when ya drive down road and pass THEMB
THERE tryin to deliver mail while THERE on cellphone
this is exactly why the whole postal system nation wide has become a huge obama bot FAIL

I doubt any private vending machine company will be willing to use machines that accept pennies. Unless the postage rate is made to be a multiple of 5 cents, or stamps are only sold in multiples of 5, the machines the rest of the vending industry uses will not work to sell stamps, and custom machines will need to be made that accept pennies and give them as change, or laws that do not allow the mark-up of stamps will need to be relaxed to allow those cents to be overlooked. I suspect this is why custom machines had to be used in the past, and why those machines proved less reliable than standard vending machines. I have an emotional attachment to pennies, but if we as a nation want stamp vending machines in our post offices, we may have to, as a nation, say goodbye to the penny. :(

Stamp Vending Machines are horrible.
Today not only did the machine fail to issue my stamp after putting me through the complete transaction and crediting my debit account, but when I went to the post office staff for a refund, the estimated weight by the machine was $0.65 under priced. So not only did the machine not issue my stamp, the scale was not working correctly and eventually my package would have been returned to me.. This is what happens when you try to replace machines with people. MACHINES CAN NEVER TAKE THE PLACE OF PEOPLE. THEY CAN’T THINK.

This poll is over two years old and has 87% yes. When are these fools going to bring them back. (Writing this while in a very long line in one of my rare visits to post office -- rare because of lines.)

@Mel Holden: Stamp dispensers in grocery stores? You can already buy stamps in most grocery stores - all you need to do is ask... no extra 5 cents per stamp needed! ;-) Why would we need a dispenser as well? Seems a bit redundant to me....

Needed stamps this a.m., had to wait behind about eight other customers, didn't help that one of the postal clerks was a 'chatty Cathy'. If they had a stamp dispensing machine, I'd have been in and out in about a minute. I'd even pay an additional 5cents per stamp if dispensers were put in grocery stores, like soda vending machines are. We used to have stamp dispensing machines available.

does pepsi make vending machines available to rich and poor alike? why not try applying some free market principles to come up with a solution for postage vending machines that take both cash and credit, for as little or as much stamps you need to buy, and place them in logical places where people go to buy stamps. after all, it's not rocket science.

I think that the stamp vending machines should be brought back if they are in the budget...it doesn't sound like they are. I am all for convenience and speedy lines, but I would rather see the money go towards more postal workers keeping their jobs.
That's just my 2 cents...

The Sierra Madre, California 91024 post office removed the coin-based machines and installed credit card-based APC. I liked it a lot. But a couple of weeks ago they removed the APC and they say they are not going to replace it. Why?

And where does one find the nearest APC since I don't know of one in my area and don't have the time to waste standing in a line at the post office that moves at a snail's pace to buy air mail stamps???

The removal of vending machines was a big mistake because the reasoning to remove them was faulty. Management said they break down too often so instead of finding a machine that did not break down, they removed all the machines. Excellent machines that seldom breakdown are easily available. Hundred of millions of dollars of snacks and drinks are sold through machines this way. Plus, management removed machines from all post offices instead of just the post offices with low sales. That's right, profitable high selling machines were taken out. The USPS' own study said stamp vending sales were very profitable in in 76% of the locations. I would fire the management personnel that used this line of illogical reasoning. Dollar coins make the use of vending machines very convenient. Bring vending machines back in the locations that have the traffic to support them

Hey,
I am a San Francisco Bay Area filmmaker, and am curious about the USPS stamp machines. We have a script that was written about one and we didn't realize that they had taken them all out.
Does anybody know a place where there still may be one, or where I can find one?
Thanks!

the machines were a fine idea. Everything involved in the implementation sucked. for instance, the janitor installed the machine that was in our lobby. It should have never been put into service for security reasons. I believe it was never inspected by the inspection service or someone else as ok(from a theft standpoint) It was held to the wall by a 2X4 with 2 lag screws.Even after the ist break-in attempt ,it was put back in place with the 2X4 and 2 lag screws. So it was broken into a second time. It was not cleaned properly and funds taken from it were not accounted for properly.

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Hi there, I wonder if this will really be a thing for the postal system to work properly. There are a lot of cases when idle minds just think they can get away with postal service using machines. I wish there are a lot of industrious people.

Do not bring back vending machines.Not worth the cost.The simple solution is to buy a book of 18 forever stamps from the APC,this is not rocket science. The markets and Costco also sell forever stamps. Maybe that will make Jessica happy so she won't have to bother the rude clerks.

I am still fuming at the incompetence I experienced at the hands of the USPS today. I needed an original document from London. The London party paid 6 pounds to send it special air delivery registered. I stay in my home/office all day to make sure I would receive it.
At about 4 pm, I check my mailbox. There was a note "Sorry we missed you!" Nobody missed me! The carrier was too lazy to ring my bell and take the elevator (not even stairs) up to the 5th floor to get my signature. I immediately called and asked for redelivery today but was told that was impossible.
Now I have to go to the post office before my morning meeting to retrieve this document.
No wonder people prefer FedEx. This has happened to me with USPS before. This would never happen with FedEx. This is one of the reasons the USPS is losing business. It deserves to lose such business.
FYI the tracking # is 5293 0280 8780 5045 and the article number is LY 5550 7957 3GB.
Is that carrier going to keep his/her job?

The comment about the dollar coin requirement is correct, but only if on federal property. USPS would need to locate vending machines elsewhere, and of course there are lots of places that would make sense.

Dollar coins should someday replace the paper dollar bill and save taxpayers $700 million. We are about the only country left in the world with a one dollar bill or equivalent. The paper bill lasts about 13 months before wearing out. The dollar coin can last for 30 years. Our lack of political courage or lack of attention to waste is costing us way too much. Using the dollar coin means fewer coins in your pocket or purse. Don't forget, it takes the place of two quarters, two dimes, five nickels, and five cents-14 coins in all!

Vending machines and APCs are not comparable for several reasons, foremost being that only a hand full of post offices will ever reach the retail threshold HQ has assigned to justify one. The OIG should really be focusing on the losses associated with an alternative access retail strategy that was short sighted and poorly implemented. The discussion on contracting out vending should have been had before we sunsetted the program, not after the customers have migrated to other services.

We have just been informed our post office in Pine Mountain Club Ca 93222 is being closed. We are a mountain community of 2,315 population. We have never had delivery and must go to our town PO. The...

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